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FOREWORD

A Brief History of Cast Iron Cookware

The Dutch oven, once called the black pot or cooking cauldron, has been a popular cooking vessel for centuries. In fact, early references to the black pot can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. Christopher Columbus brought Dutch oven cooking pots with him on the voyage that led to the discovery of the Americas. In 1620, the Pilgrims cooked with them during their crossing to America, hanging the pots from ship beams and building fires underneath them in sand pits. The Dutch oven is now returning to popularity because of the tasty food it produces and because of the material from which it is made: cast iron.

Cast iron was the material of choice for early cookware because of its ability to withstand high heat, frequent use and some rough handling. Until the start of the eighteenth century, iron was cast in baked loam or clay soil molds. This gave the finished product a rough surface, and the mold generally broke during removal. These early pieces were also very thick walled and heavy. The most advanced foundries of the time were located in or near Holland, and their high-quality cast iron products, including Dutch ovens, were imported to Great Britain and elsewhere in Europe. When people from Europe and Great Britain immigrated to America, they brought the cast iron trade with them.

In 1704, Abraham Darby, an English Quaker, traveled to Holland to inspect the cast iron foundries. As a result, he discovered that wet sand molds could be used to make lighter, thinner cast iron products at a much faster rate than with other methods. In 1708, Darby received a patent for his casting process and began manufacturing large quantities of cast iron products in a furnace at Coalbrookdale. By the mid-eighteenth century, Darby’s cast iron pots were being shipped to America.

This image from the mid- to late-1900s shows a Lodge Manufacturing Company employee creating the molds for Lodge’s cast iron products.

The first American casting was made in Massachusetts circa 1642, and afterward, small foundries began to appear in most of the colonies. Pots from this time period can often be identified by a round protrusion of extra iron, known as a sprue, formed on the pot where the iron entered the mold. Generally, the sprue is located on the bottom of a pot, so it didn’t affect the use of hearth pots, which were suspended over a fire or nestled in a bed of coals. As cooking ranges were developed, however, it became necessary to produce cookware with flat bottoms for use on a stovetop or in the oven of a coal or wood stove.

Two major foundries producing cast iron cookware during the eighteenth century were Griswold Manufacturing Company in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Wagner Manufacturing Company in Sidney, Ohio. With the invention of artificial nonstick materials like Teflon®, however, the cookware industry began to change, resulting in the closing of many foundries, including Griswold and Wagner. People wanted pots and pans that were lightweight, pretty and pretreated for nonstick cooking. Cast iron skillets, griddles and Dutch ovens were relegated to the back shelf in favor of the newest and “greatest” cookware available.

Camping Tidbits

Keep your eyes open for the camping hacks scattered throughout this book. Each contains a little bit of wisdom you can use to make your outdoors experience even more enjoyable and memorable.

References to the use of cast iron cookware (also known as the “black pot”) have been noted in the Old Testament of the Bible.

Today, cast iron cookware is being rediscovered as something that produces mouthwatering foods and is durable enough to be passed down through generations of cooks. These old standbys are onetime purchases with cooking surfaces that get better with age and regular use. Although the Griswold and Wagner foundries are no longer open, they remain well-known names among cast iron enthusiasts and collectors, and other companies, such as Lodge Manufacturing Company, continue to produce outstanding cast iron cookware today.

Some things have changed about Dutch ovens and other cast iron cookware, but they still make excellent cooking tools. It really thrills me to see so many people attending classes and demonstrations about Dutch ovens and cast iron cookware. Cast iron cookware is a lifetime investment and, if cared for, will be a family heirloom you can keep for generations. Make it your way of cooking today and carry on the old traditions.

Try your favorite recipe by warming your Dutch oven and lightly oiling it. Put your food in, heat the oven to 350 degrees, and wait for the smell—it will tell you when it’s done. Like my Grandma said, “Kissin’ wears out, but cookin’ don’t.” Cook with love—it’s the only ingredient missing.

— Colleen Sloan,

author of Log Cabin Dutch Oven

About Colleen Sloan

Colleen Sloan grew up on a farm in Utah, where she learned the basics of Dutch oven and camp cooking from her family. Recognizing that this traditional method of cooking was something worth preserving, Sloan has made an effort to bring Dutch oven and cast iron cooking to as many people as possible.

For nearly two decades, Sloan has been introducing others to the delicious taste of food prepared with cast iron cookware. Driving across the country, she gives demonstrations and teaches classes about Dutch oven and camp cooking techniques. She eventually self-published her first cookbook, which features traditional recipes from her grandmother. The venture was largely successful, and several more cookbooks have followed.

To support her cast iron cooking craze, Sloan has a collection of more than 150 cast iron pieces, and that number is always growing. The set includes such standout pieces as a bean pot predating the Revolutionary War.

Today, cast iron products and cooking methods are climbing back into popularity, capturing the interest of people across the country. Sloan is incredibly excited to see this rising interest in the cooking methods she has been using her entire life.

The molten cast iron was poured by hand into sand molds.

The cookware shown here is ready to be distributed to customers.